[shommel]

i understand the basic difference between the two the A(challenger) has 225 horses while the K(hi-po) has 271 and solid lifters. what i want to know is can the A code handle the same abuse as the K? they were both put in GTs and non GTs so whats the difference besides about 50 horse and you can add that to the A code easy i believe. what is an 65 A code gt w/standard interior fastback worth vs a K code w/standard interior fastback? both in decent condition and very drivable. also what is the difference in todays market on the price of just an A or K motor with no car attached?

[andrewmp6]

k code is worth more since its rare the early shelbys started out as them.The thing i see different is a code could have ac k code couldnt.

[The Greek]

K code cars have a 9" rear end. Engine's main bearing caps are heavier as well as the harmonic balancer. Crankshaft Brinell tested for hardness, has external counterweight to offset the weight of the 3/8'' vs. the standard 5/16" connecting rod bolts. Heads have valve spring seats cast in, the distributor is a dual point with no vacuum advance, camshaft specs different and a higher compression ratio of around 10.5:1 vs 9.8:1 for A code. The original car's VIN should be stamped on the block of a HIPO too.

An original K code car could be worth, in the same condition, my guess would be 50 to 75% more than an A. It's the rarity that drives up the cost.

To set a price on the K engine vs. an A engine, again my guess would be to expect to pay at least three to four times what you'd pay for an A engine. Again I'm guessing, but the real K code engines are rare birds and yes, people have tried to pass off non-K codes by faking the differences, so watch out for this. Scammers are everywhere.

[gordie]

Lots of "wannabes" put the Hi Performance emblems on their front fenders but if you are looking to buy one be sure to look for the "K" in the serial number and on the title. A real "K" car is worth about twice that of a regular Mustang.

[Veronica]

Hello. The short version of the answer would be " No, the 'A' code motor can't take the abuse that the 'K' code motor can." The main bearing caps and connecting rods are much beefier on the K codes, the K codes have an extra counterweight on the crank, and the heads are completely different. The K code heads have the valve springs sitting in little pockets instead of just a flat pedestal, like the other 289s, to prevent the valve springs from scooting around on you at high rpms, the rocker arm studs are the screw-in type with lock nuts, instead of pressed in, like the other 289s. The only thing that the two motors have in common is the displacement, and they used the same 4 bbl intake. Even the carbs are different. The K code has a manual choke, 600 cfm autolite 4100, while the A code has a 480 cfm, thermostatically actuated choke 4100. The K codes had a different, much larger balancer, all sorts of stuff. Hope that helps.

[67ragtopStang]

I believe K Code engines have solid lifters and A and C Code engines have hydraulic lifters.

[Veronica]

Originally Posted by 67ragtopStang

I believe K Code engines have solid lifters and A and C Code engines have hydraulic lifters.

Hi again. That is correct. Sometimes you'll see a K code that no longer has the solid lifters, but that's what it came with originally.

[Blackshadow]

Don't forgot about the different motor mounts in the A codes and K codes in 65, 66 they were the same.

[shommel]

can you turn an A code into a K code(put in solid lifters and all the other differences)? also why were the motor mounts different in 65 vs 66 what is different about them?(most 65 stuff fits 66 stuff and vice versa )or is this wrong VERONICA?

[Blackshadow]

motor mounts in 65 were beefed up for the K code in 66 ford design a mount to work with both

[shommel]

so if i bought 66 motor mounts would they work on my 65?

[Veronica]

Hi again. The 65 K code, 65 non K code V8 and 66 motor mounts can be used interchangeably. Very seldom will you see a 65 K code that still has the correct motor mounts, because the are very hard to find and reeeeeeel expensive when you do find a set. All of the rubber parts are now being reproduced, but the three metal pieces aren't. I have a couple of sets of them that I made the mistake of letting people know that I had them, and I get emails and phone calls on a fairly regular basis from people wanting to buy them, even though a set can easily bring well over a grand. The problem with converting a regular 289 block to K code specs is mostly with the main bearing caps. Those, again, are hard to find and very expensive. I just sold a set a few months ago for 1300 bucks and the guy was really, really happy with that. The connecting rods are also K code specific, and, once more, rare and expensive. There's a pretty long list of K code specific stuff, like the heads, that would make that a very expensive motor to build. I probably ought to go ahead and cough up some of this K code junk I've been warehousing, especially some the heads, but... naaah. I think not. It would be a lot cheaper for you to just build up a nuthin' special 302 to the 300 hp mark.